Since 14 weeks, I've been able to feel some "flutters" every now-and-again. Today, though, baby decided to start showcasing how much bigger and stronger he/she is getting! His/her favorite spot is a couple of inches below my belly button.
I was really worried this morning because of some cramping. I woke up at 3:30am and was feeling some uncomfortable cramps. Unfortunately, they were still there around 9, and they were pretty tight. Nothing helped until I finally decided to lie down in a semi-sitting position instead of on my side. After some time, this pretty much cured it. When I lied down again in the afternoon for a quick rest in the same position, I started feeling these kicks! I thought it was well-deserved considering the morning I had. ^^;;
Anyway, he/she has a liking for America's Next Top Model, apparently, because as I was watching tonight, the kicks started again. No complaints here!
In other news, I met up with some members from a group of expat women today who either have children or are pregnant (or both!). It was so nice to talk with them and get information and just connect. A couple of the women there are married to Korean men, so that's kind of an added bonus. I took a few notes of some of the baby stuff some had brought with to try to find it. Even though one person made my least favorite comment of, "Where's your belly?" it was just a wonderful time. (You know who you are if you're reading this! ^.~) It just wasn't super obvious with what I was wearing. Plus, I've got a lot more room for baby to stretch out with my long torso. As you can see, I am very protective of my little baby bump!
All that aside, it was just a very nice day overall. Sesame still doesn't like bibimbap apparently (I think it might actually be a sort of aversion to bean sprouts...maybe), but cheese sticks and Krispy Kremes are always okay. One of Hee Suk's friends (a guy!) commented on how my cheeks have filled out a little and how my bump is getting bigger, and that, of course, just had me beaming. The people who know me a bit more are usually pretty quick to pick up on the changes (it's not hard with me!).
Anyway, this is a super late night post. Time to get ready for bed!
Thank You, God, for this little Taekwon Baby, for the blessing of being able to feel him/her so early on. I am so in awe of Your design, the incredible ways You work. Thank You, my Lord.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
16 Weeks
Hi, Mom~!
So first of all, I decided to stop pressuring myself to take a picture everyday. I will just take significant pictures (and then some, of course). To be honest, a lot of photos were already being taken days later, so I was kind of cheating anyway. :3
That aside, we had an ultrasound yesterday at our 16-week check-up. It went very well. I had a whole ton of questions written down to ask our doctor, and I was so nervous about asking them. Like I've mentioned before, Koreans are very trusting of their doctors and just go with the flow. Americans especially ask tons of questions to be sure they are at the right place because of how different it is everywhere you go, so it's just the opposite.
I expected to be kind of rushed out, but she never made me feel like she was even expecting anyone else (though she certainly did have plenty of other patients to see). Even at the end, she mentioned how she knows that foreigners especially ask tons of questions and that it's no problem at all. She basically expected it, which is actually kind of nice.
One of my biggest concerns was our 20-week appointment, which I have mentioned a few times here I was nervous about because I knew it would be just like the 12-week appointment, which left me slightly traumatized (though I definitely need not be since baby is just fine). We left her office at the end just expecting to call her two days before the appointment so someone would be sure to have the monitor on for me the entire time. I was definitely pleased with this. Right after we left, though, the assistant told us to hold on, that our appointment date might change because the doctor was making some phone calls.
We got even better news that the hospital offers special times twice a week just for foreigners to have super ultrasounds done where husbands can accompany them! I was just ecstatic and beyond grateful at hearing this. She even still told me to stop by her office right before we went off to have the ultrasound done to be sure they would keep the monitor on for me the whole time. What a true blessing.
I definitely feel much more confident in the overall process at the hospital now. I’ve never doubted my doctor, but I did become concerned with some of the hospital’s rules. Everything really looks about perfect, though.
Anyway, some stats:
Baby:
Approximately 9.3cm, or 3.7”
This freaked me out. First, I keep thinking it’s not all that accurate anyway since our baby is super curly cuddly like I am anyway. Second, I know these are just estimates. Third, I know every baby grows differently.
That’s about an inch behind, though, so it is slightly worrisome. However, our doctor didn’t say a thing, so I am sure it must be just fine. Some tickers say baby is just over 4.5”, and others say 5”, so that’s why I am sort of just like, “Woh.”
These were taken Tuesday, the doctor's 16 weeks and our 15w6d.
Mommy:
Blood Pressure: 105/71
Heart Rate: 87bpm
Weight: 59.5kg / 130.9 lbs (a less than 2kg/4-lb gain)
When the doctor was putting the ultrasound…scanner…on my belly, she said, “You haven’t gained anything, have you??” My belly really flattened out when I was on my back, though many have started to notice it! I though I had gained more than what I did.
Today, two parents of my students on separate occasions exclaimed excitedly that my belly was getting bigger. I think the first said something more like, “Wow, baby is really growing!” because her daughter then wanted to know how she could see the baby, lol. Yes, this is the one who thinks we are having either twins or a purple baby. That child is next to hopeless! I have explained in Korean maaaany times that our baby will be mixed, half-Korean, half-white (“half-American”) and even showed her pictures of our friends’ half-Chinese, half-white baby, and she still asked me today, “Korean baby?” I told her again, “No, MIX…” and she asked if the baby will speak Korean or English, again. I told her if we teach Korean, baby will speak Korean. If we teach English, baby will speak English. She sort of seemed to semi-understand after that, but I doubt it!
After the first mom said I was getting bigger (which does bring me great delight), the two girls in class kept wanting to touch my belly. Too cute.
All of that blabbing on aside, Hee Suk made a video of the scan today. Don't turn the volume up--it's just a lot of me laughing. *^^* Our baby was very seriously lying in the same position I was with my arm. Right when the doctor put the scanner on me, the baby was apparently making a peace sign. She tried to rewind the video to show it again, but no such luck (you won't see that part in the video). Our baby is hilarious. And as usual, he/she was hiding out on the lower left side. ^^
Thank You, my King, for nourishing this little one with Your love and for also holding me tight when I am feeling weak. There are no words to describe the awe I feel when I think of how you designed this miracle. You are incredible, my Lord. Thank You, my Lord. Thank You.
Monday, May 25, 2009
A Dream
I had a dream the other night that I was having an ultrasound, and I was pregnant with triplets. (What's with all of the dreams of multiples?) They were able to determine the sex of baby #2--a boy. My quads were all girls, and of the super definitive dreams during pregnancy, I've had one of a boy and one of a girl. My triplets have at least one boy. I think this is a sign we will not find out until he/she makes and entrance into this world.
We have an ultrasound on Wednesday where we will be asking our doctor a whole bunch of questions, which I am nervous about for some reason. I just feel like people here don't ask questions--they just blindly follow their doctors. I wanted to push her to see if she could hint the sex for us at this appointment, but it sounds like telling it so early on leads to many wrong "predictions," for lack of a better term.
I think I am partially nervous about talking about the 20-week scan (FAS-Fetal Anatomy Scan). I will not have it done if the experience will be the same as what the 12-week NT scan was. I will make our doctor do it instead of going to the Ultrasound Tech Room of Doom if she feels it is that important but is unable to have the rules slightly bent for us. Or I will go to another clinic for the scan and somehow get everything sent over. I'm not even asking to allow my husband in since no one can have their husbands in. I want my TV screen to be on the entire time she has the whatchamacallit on my belly, no ifs, ands or buts.
I had a sort of revelation with as to why they probably don't do it like that. I at first could only think of, "They don't want people asking questions while they are taking the measurements," but then it dawned on me--they may be trying to make sure you can't figure out the sex. I don't care if you don't want me to know--you are not going to be looking at our baby any longer than we can!
If you can't tell, I am still trying to get over how that all went down. Clearly, four weeks is not enough time to get over it.
Anyway, that's all for now. More later, as always.
Thank You, my Lord, for holding us so tightly in Your hands and for being a neverending source of comfort and peace. I love You, my King.
We have an ultrasound on Wednesday where we will be asking our doctor a whole bunch of questions, which I am nervous about for some reason. I just feel like people here don't ask questions--they just blindly follow their doctors. I wanted to push her to see if she could hint the sex for us at this appointment, but it sounds like telling it so early on leads to many wrong "predictions," for lack of a better term.
I think I am partially nervous about talking about the 20-week scan (FAS-Fetal Anatomy Scan). I will not have it done if the experience will be the same as what the 12-week NT scan was. I will make our doctor do it instead of going to the Ultrasound Tech Room of Doom if she feels it is that important but is unable to have the rules slightly bent for us. Or I will go to another clinic for the scan and somehow get everything sent over. I'm not even asking to allow my husband in since no one can have their husbands in. I want my TV screen to be on the entire time she has the whatchamacallit on my belly, no ifs, ands or buts.
I had a sort of revelation with as to why they probably don't do it like that. I at first could only think of, "They don't want people asking questions while they are taking the measurements," but then it dawned on me--they may be trying to make sure you can't figure out the sex. I don't care if you don't want me to know--you are not going to be looking at our baby any longer than we can!
If you can't tell, I am still trying to get over how that all went down. Clearly, four weeks is not enough time to get over it.
Anyway, that's all for now. More later, as always.
Thank You, my Lord, for holding us so tightly in Your hands and for being a neverending source of comfort and peace. I love You, my King.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Another Quick One
Yesterday was the first time I have truly noticed how things are moving up. I was sitting and bending/slouching a little forward when I realized my skin wasn't "folding" like it used to. I used to have a pinkish line a little lower on my abdomen showing where my skin would naturally crease (in addition to one I still have), but it can't crease there anymore! This is really exciting to me. I love watching my body change through this.
That reminds me...
When we were on the hunt for a bra for me, we stopped by a few shops, including a few maternity shops and a regular ol' bra shop. I sometimes got really down after going to those places because people would first of all assume I was not in the right place (at the maternity shops), and then when we told them I'm pregnant, the looks on their faces and the tones of their voices were just so...almost like they didn't believe me or thought I was a Russian hooker with my sugar daddy (despite my "blinding bling"). I have a tummy! It was so noticeable to me (of course), so why were these people all like, "Oh..."? I know realistically that I am not at that "Oh, she's pregnant!" just by site stage yet, but especially when I have walked into a maternity section without looking lost, I would expect a hint of a smile at least! I know we are obviously not the norm here, but still...
Anyway, Hee Suk really knows how to either whip them out or dig himself a deep hole fast. Here, he was actually clever enough one day to whip out, "It's because they have big bellies without being pregnant!" I love him. ♥
That's all for now! Off to teach my last class for the day.
Thank You, my Lord, for the incredible way You have decided pregnancy, that You have given us so many signs even early on to show us that everything is just fine and going to well. We are truly blessed!
That reminds me...
When we were on the hunt for a bra for me, we stopped by a few shops, including a few maternity shops and a regular ol' bra shop. I sometimes got really down after going to those places because people would first of all assume I was not in the right place (at the maternity shops), and then when we told them I'm pregnant, the looks on their faces and the tones of their voices were just so...almost like they didn't believe me or thought I was a Russian hooker with my sugar daddy (despite my "blinding bling"). I have a tummy! It was so noticeable to me (of course), so why were these people all like, "Oh..."? I know realistically that I am not at that "Oh, she's pregnant!" just by site stage yet, but especially when I have walked into a maternity section without looking lost, I would expect a hint of a smile at least! I know we are obviously not the norm here, but still...
Anyway, Hee Suk really knows how to either whip them out or dig himself a deep hole fast. Here, he was actually clever enough one day to whip out, "It's because they have big bellies without being pregnant!" I love him. ♥
That's all for now! Off to teach my last class for the day.
Thank You, my Lord, for the incredible way You have decided pregnancy, that You have given us so many signs even early on to show us that everything is just fine and going to well. We are truly blessed!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Suddenly...
This is just a quick one, but it's funny how suddenly, people are mostly voting that they think we will have a boy. Our girl count is even minus one from where it was as someone just might have changed their answer! It's still 10:4, girl, but all recent votes have pretty much been for boy. I just think that's funny.
Highlights:
Still no second trimester energy boost, and I am finally getting over the cough/cold I came down with.
I spent almost $4 today on three sticks of string cheese.
Despite being pregnant and having braces, I landed a semi-recurring role on a drama called White Lie and filmed my first episode yesterday. It will air next week Friday on the 29th.
16-week appointment is in one week, and my doctor has no idea how many questions she's got coming at her. :3
Our little monkey is about 4 inches now. ^^;; (You have no idea how many nicknames he/she actually has.)
And that's all I have energy for. Good morning to you and good night to me!
Thank You, my Lord. Thank You.
Highlights:
Still no second trimester energy boost, and I am finally getting over the cough/cold I came down with.
I spent almost $4 today on three sticks of string cheese.
Despite being pregnant and having braces, I landed a semi-recurring role on a drama called White Lie and filmed my first episode yesterday. It will air next week Friday on the 29th.
16-week appointment is in one week, and my doctor has no idea how many questions she's got coming at her. :3
Our little monkey is about 4 inches now. ^^;; (You have no idea how many nicknames he/she actually has.)
And that's all I have energy for. Good morning to you and good night to me!
Thank You, my Lord. Thank You.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
I love Teacher's Day.
May 15th is Teacher's Day, which is tomorrow. However, seeing as I don't have all of my classes every day, I started receiving gifts yesterday.
What's really wonderful to me is how incredibly thoughtful the gifts have been. Instead of blabbing on, I shall post pictures!
14w
My children's class on Wednesdays presented me with this huge basket of fruit, which was fantastic not only because it's a great gift for a pregnant woman, but also because I was going to head to the grocery store after class just to buy fruit! One student had a scale at her house, so I weighed it--6kg (over 12 lbs)!
♥
14w1d
These are the gifts I received today, minus one I had received in the morning. I will detail what isn't pictured later.
I was shocked to receive an Agabang bag because it's a pretty pricey brand (to me) of Korean baby wears. Inside was this adorable blanket/towel set! As you can see, it is both pink and blue, so no tell-tale signs there. I dreamt that the first gift I opened was both pink and blue! This was a gift from two first-graders I teach.
The one is a bath towel with adorable little mouse ears! Considering I think we are having a mouse because of his/her love for cheese, this was very appropriate!
I had another children's group class today, and they gave me the small box wrapped in pink and the brown bag that says Beyond. In the pink box was my favorite thing in the world--two pairs of Korean-style maternity underwear! One girl in my class wanted me to open it up, so I peaked in, restrained from laughing too hard and quickly tucked it away since there is a boy in the class.
As for what's not pictured, the boy I teach a few mornings a week (who is half-Korean, half-French!) gave me some nice sunscreen lotion.
The grey bag with the origami pocket heart is from an adorable girl I work with two days a week who was formerly in a group class. She gave me a hair clip which looks like it's covered in pearls. I opened it up when I got home and said, "It's perfect!" Pearls have a special meaning to me with having PCOS (the "string of pearls" on my ovaries), so I absolutely love it.
In the brown bag was some stretch mark creme. I am so glad we weren't convinced to buy any at the baby fair! (We almost were!)
I did NOT expect to be receiving such nice things. Maybe it's because most were group gifts, but still. I am so grateful to all of the students and their families for the kindness they have shown me. None of them are reading this, but I just want to say thank you again!
♥
In other news, I had a dream last night that I had just had our baby, a girl, and she looked more American than Korean (which I literally thought was so strange in my dream). My dreams tend to show baby after he/she has grown a bit, and this one showed her sitting up and just laughing at everything. I was taking pictures with my camera phone (which I almost never do!), and she was pretty much posing for them, even waving hi at times. So adorable, and what a nice break from the nightmares. The weird, thing, though, was that at the beginning of the dream, this was apparently going to be our second child...that part was a little kooky.
There are still some more special posts I want to do, but I want to keep them separate. Hopefully, I will get to them soon! I've been really excited about them, but I always end up with something else to type before I am able to get to them.
Much love!
My heavenly Father, thank You for all of those in my life that You have blessed me with, from family to friends to students and their families. We are to rely solely on You for all that we need, but You know how weak our hearts are and generously bless us with others in our lives who You use to bless us even further. I pray that I might be half as much a blessing to all of them as they have been to me. Thank You, my Lord.
What's really wonderful to me is how incredibly thoughtful the gifts have been. Instead of blabbing on, I shall post pictures!
My children's class on Wednesdays presented me with this huge basket of fruit, which was fantastic not only because it's a great gift for a pregnant woman, but also because I was going to head to the grocery store after class just to buy fruit! One student had a scale at her house, so I weighed it--6kg (over 12 lbs)!
♥
14w1d
These are the gifts I received today, minus one I had received in the morning. I will detail what isn't pictured later.
I was shocked to receive an Agabang bag because it's a pretty pricey brand (to me) of Korean baby wears. Inside was this adorable blanket/towel set! As you can see, it is both pink and blue, so no tell-tale signs there. I dreamt that the first gift I opened was both pink and blue! This was a gift from two first-graders I teach.
The one is a bath towel with adorable little mouse ears! Considering I think we are having a mouse because of his/her love for cheese, this was very appropriate!
I had another children's group class today, and they gave me the small box wrapped in pink and the brown bag that says Beyond. In the pink box was my favorite thing in the world--two pairs of Korean-style maternity underwear! One girl in my class wanted me to open it up, so I peaked in, restrained from laughing too hard and quickly tucked it away since there is a boy in the class.
As for what's not pictured, the boy I teach a few mornings a week (who is half-Korean, half-French!) gave me some nice sunscreen lotion.
The grey bag with the origami pocket heart is from an adorable girl I work with two days a week who was formerly in a group class. She gave me a hair clip which looks like it's covered in pearls. I opened it up when I got home and said, "It's perfect!" Pearls have a special meaning to me with having PCOS (the "string of pearls" on my ovaries), so I absolutely love it.
In the brown bag was some stretch mark creme. I am so glad we weren't convinced to buy any at the baby fair! (We almost were!)
I did NOT expect to be receiving such nice things. Maybe it's because most were group gifts, but still. I am so grateful to all of the students and their families for the kindness they have shown me. None of them are reading this, but I just want to say thank you again!
In other news, I had a dream last night that I had just had our baby, a girl, and she looked more American than Korean (which I literally thought was so strange in my dream). My dreams tend to show baby after he/she has grown a bit, and this one showed her sitting up and just laughing at everything. I was taking pictures with my camera phone (which I almost never do!), and she was pretty much posing for them, even waving hi at times. So adorable, and what a nice break from the nightmares. The weird, thing, though, was that at the beginning of the dream, this was apparently going to be our second child...that part was a little kooky.
There are still some more special posts I want to do, but I want to keep them separate. Hopefully, I will get to them soon! I've been really excited about them, but I always end up with something else to type before I am able to get to them.
Much love!
My heavenly Father, thank You for all of those in my life that You have blessed me with, from family to friends to students and their families. We are to rely solely on You for all that we need, but You know how weak our hearts are and generously bless us with others in our lives who You use to bless us even further. I pray that I might be half as much a blessing to all of them as they have been to me. Thank You, my Lord.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Picture Time!
On Thursday night, I made a little book for Appa-to-be from our little Sesame for Parents' Day, which was on Friday. I think it is way adorable and pretty funny. I just used the crayons and origami paper we had in the house, along with a bunch of baby stickers I had since my students aren't too interested in those.
♥
13w2d
On Parent's Day in Korea, the thing to do is give carnations to your parents. While I was on my way to my classes, I saw this lady selling carnations. Do you see what is behind her? It's a monkey! She had a pet monkey! I just had to snap a picture.
Even though I gave Hee Suk the book, he didn't think twice about trying to do something for me. We went out to eat that night like I mentioned in my last post, though, so it was nice.
♥
13w3d
These are just some of the freebies we walked away with from the Happy Mom's Fair. We really got some good stuff! I can't wait to go back in September for the bigger one. ^o^
♥
13w4d
On Sunday, I met up with a new friend who is also married to a Korean and is expecting her first very soon! As I mentioned, I scored a great deal on some new bras. The ladies at the shop loved me, so they threw in some free clear bra straps. I love the freebie culture here. ♥
♥
13w5d
I bought these on Sunday, but I had three on Monday, despite trying to limit myself to two. I made a compromise that so long as I have these, I can't order pizza. I just finished the last one, heheheh.
♥
13w6d
I forgot to take a picture of this before. I was at EMart and saw this two pack of notebooks for less than a dollar, and since it said Mother's Day, I picked them up. I have no idea what I will use them for yet since they are not the lined style I like, but we'll see.
And no picture for today yet, but you know there will be one eventually.
There have been many things I have wanted to type about, but I just lose the energy to do so by the time I get here sometimes. I've been having problems with my shoulder suddenly acting up again, so I am going to just go for now and get some rest before my afternoon classes start.
Thank You, Lord, for all of these wonderful memories and for the new friends that you are sending my way to help me feel more connected to others while here. May you bless them and their children, whether they have been born or have yet to make their entrance. Thank You, my Lord!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Lots of blabbing on
I am too tired to put forth that tiny bit of extra effort required to upload new photos today, so I am just going to type out what will probably be some wretchedly long-winded piece that most will take one look at and pass right over. :)
I am still waiting on the mythical second trimester energy boost. There's no urge to try to take over the world on this end yet. I cannot complain, though. I have had it almost way too easy thus far, so it's only fair that the fatigue is prolonged (though it still doesn't nearly compare to what some others go through!). I am surely still counting my blessings!
Fooding
The end of last week brought on a craving for kalbi, Korean-style beef ribs which NO ONE can pass up, unless they are a vegetarian or vegan, I suppose. We decided that the only way to satisfy this was to go venture off to some nice buffet (oh, darn) and that this would best be done after the Happy Mom's Fair we were planning to attend on Saturday.
Hee Suk's Friday night schedule wound up getting canceled, so even though we knew we'd be going to a relatively pricey buffet the next day, we still went out for samgyeopsal, some delicious Korean tabletop grilling, at our favorite spot (Donenu). We are almost averaging once a week at that place these days! We decided to try their kalbi there to see if we could satisfy my craving without the cost, but it was no use. It was not the same taste I was seeking. Hee Suk was all too happy to still be going to the buffet the next day.
So to continue on the fooding theme, we decided on dinner at the buffet at Sejong Hotel. There are two kinds of buffets in Korea--cheap and expensive. Cheap buffets tend to not keep their cold food on ice and their hot food hot. I'm pretty relaxed about all of these eating "rules," but that is one concept I am not comfortable with. Thus, to get some good quality food, you're usually finding yourself dining at a hotel's buffet. Let's just say I still didn't want him mentioning the price after we found a $20 discount. It was definitely worth it, though, and we justified it as our second trimester celebration.
The kalbi was exactly the right taste, and they even had grilled eel. I was not feeling eel that night unfortunately, so Hee Suk ate enough for the three of us. :D Their salads were actually quite nice, and the fruit was very fresh. I absolutely fell in love with some of their assorted fried foods because they tasted so light and just absolutely delicious. I want some more! Their dessert stand was also great, and they had Häagen-Dazs ice cream. I am actually not such a huge fan, but Hee Suk was in heaven. We ate way too much, but it was so good.
Since we were close to Krispy Kreme, I had planned on buying some while we were out. We couldn't even THINK about food after that, though! I wound up getting a box on Sunday, though, when I met a new friend (yay!), which I justified by saying that so long as we have the donuts in the house, I cannot order pizza. I am pretty sure they will be gone by tomorrow afternoon.
The Happy Mom's Fair
It went extremely well! The place was hardly very crowded, so I was very pleased. It wasn't as big as we had expected, but they run the same fair on a bigger scale in September, which is absolutely perfect for us. We now have a lot of great information that we can research, and when the fair comes around again, we can easily figure out what special deals are worth investing in right then and there and which are not as fantastic as they want you to believe. It also comes at great timing, just two months before we are due!
I should mention that one fabulous thing I noticed was that vendors were not snooty if you decided not to buy something right then and there. This is an issue we both have with in-person shopping here because people will seriously make you feel guilty for not buying something from them quite often. We may have been blessed simply by the fact that I am not quite so far along yet to really necessitate purchasing a lot of what was being offered, but either way, it was really nice to walk away with the vendor smiling. I truly appreciated it.
We did put down a refundable 50,000won deposit (simply, $50) on a photography package that includes a maternity portrait session. When I saw their setup, I knew right away that I wanted to go to this place. Other places I have walked by on a daily basis have some pretty boring maternity photos, though absolutely gorgeous baby photos, and this was the first (and only, as it turned out) that had some fantastic pregnancy portraits to show off.
Also, I cannot BELIEVE how inexpensive photography is here. I feel like we are stealing from them. You can hardly find someone to design an album for you for the cost we are paying for a few different sessions, which include an album and a million other things (even ALL images on a CD!). They also have a number of studios to choose from, so I am just super excited.
For anyone interested, here is a link to their sample galleries: Apple Tree
Links on the left: 50 days, 100 days, 1st Birthday, Junior, Maternity, Family, Outdoors, Star Mania
Another great deal we scored was a pair of maternity khaki capris for 10,000won. That was a major score! They are super cute. I would totally be wearing them if it weren't for this cold rainy front that moved in today.
Unexpected
One thing I didn't expect either of us to become interested in was cloth diapering, which I know is quickly growing in popularity in the states. I couldn't understand how it was done at first, but after finally talking with a vendor there and looking up more information online, it's pretty simple! It obviously requires more laundry, but it is amazing how much money it can save you in the end, nevertheless how much better it is for baby. (I don't care what option others pursue--I am not trying to convert or condemn a single person here.)
When we walked into the fair, I couldn't get over how many cloth diapering stands there were because I just assumed most people here used disposables. It wasn't until the very end when the vendor we wound up speaking with held up a sign about some free giveaway at 4pm that we got in line, got our freebie, then decided to ask some serious questions. Hee Suk was even very emphatic about it after talking with the lady from one of the bigger companies there. I am super excited to be looking into this more.
For the Next Fair...
My short list:
-I hope they have some vendors to check out some carriers and slings. All they had were strollers and some carseats. I want to see some carriers and slings!
-Enter the maternity fashion contest! I would have done it this time, but I would have been too shy with such a comparably small belly.
-Look into pricing for necessities such as a tub online and in stores to see if they are offering a better deal there.
-Milk all of them for all the freebies they've got! (You'll get to see all of the great stuff we walked away with when I post pictures.)
-Make sure Hee Suk enters his name into all drawings because he wins EVERYTHING (he did win us something there!). I will enter mine in as well, of course, but I never win a thing.
-Make note of which vendors we definitely want to revisit.
Update on the Bra Crisis
It really was a crisis. I ended up nearly losing it trying to find what I wanted, so I just decided to pass up looking for something without an underwire that could work as a nursing bra and just find something. God seriously led me to this new friend of mine, C (who is also expecting and married to a Korean!), because it turns out that while we were walking around, one underwear shop had some great bras on clearance for 5,800won--super cheap! I wound up buying two for now, and they are just heavenly. I pray I don't go through much more growth during pregnancy, though, because B is considered big here!
Oh, and Korean sizing wasn't so bad to figure out. On our way home on Saturday, I did stop by one vendor in the subway station to get sized (little did Hee Suk know that that was all I was hoping to get out of the visit, heheheh). That led to more stress because what I at least heard wound up not making much sense, and I was not able to find what I thought I needed online. I figured it out, though, and all is well.
Anyway, I have spent way too much time here and must be off! Pictures will come soon.
Thank You, my Lord, for blessing us so greatly each and every day and for the particularly special ways in which you blessed us this weekend. Though we sometime stray, You never stop leading us in Your ways. Thank You, my King!
I am still waiting on the mythical second trimester energy boost. There's no urge to try to take over the world on this end yet. I cannot complain, though. I have had it almost way too easy thus far, so it's only fair that the fatigue is prolonged (though it still doesn't nearly compare to what some others go through!). I am surely still counting my blessings!
Fooding
The end of last week brought on a craving for kalbi, Korean-style beef ribs which NO ONE can pass up, unless they are a vegetarian or vegan, I suppose. We decided that the only way to satisfy this was to go venture off to some nice buffet (oh, darn) and that this would best be done after the Happy Mom's Fair we were planning to attend on Saturday.
Hee Suk's Friday night schedule wound up getting canceled, so even though we knew we'd be going to a relatively pricey buffet the next day, we still went out for samgyeopsal, some delicious Korean tabletop grilling, at our favorite spot (Donenu). We are almost averaging once a week at that place these days! We decided to try their kalbi there to see if we could satisfy my craving without the cost, but it was no use. It was not the same taste I was seeking. Hee Suk was all too happy to still be going to the buffet the next day.
So to continue on the fooding theme, we decided on dinner at the buffet at Sejong Hotel. There are two kinds of buffets in Korea--cheap and expensive. Cheap buffets tend to not keep their cold food on ice and their hot food hot. I'm pretty relaxed about all of these eating "rules," but that is one concept I am not comfortable with. Thus, to get some good quality food, you're usually finding yourself dining at a hotel's buffet. Let's just say I still didn't want him mentioning the price after we found a $20 discount. It was definitely worth it, though, and we justified it as our second trimester celebration.
The kalbi was exactly the right taste, and they even had grilled eel. I was not feeling eel that night unfortunately, so Hee Suk ate enough for the three of us. :D Their salads were actually quite nice, and the fruit was very fresh. I absolutely fell in love with some of their assorted fried foods because they tasted so light and just absolutely delicious. I want some more! Their dessert stand was also great, and they had Häagen-Dazs ice cream. I am actually not such a huge fan, but Hee Suk was in heaven. We ate way too much, but it was so good.
Since we were close to Krispy Kreme, I had planned on buying some while we were out. We couldn't even THINK about food after that, though! I wound up getting a box on Sunday, though, when I met a new friend (yay!), which I justified by saying that so long as we have the donuts in the house, I cannot order pizza. I am pretty sure they will be gone by tomorrow afternoon.
The Happy Mom's Fair
It went extremely well! The place was hardly very crowded, so I was very pleased. It wasn't as big as we had expected, but they run the same fair on a bigger scale in September, which is absolutely perfect for us. We now have a lot of great information that we can research, and when the fair comes around again, we can easily figure out what special deals are worth investing in right then and there and which are not as fantastic as they want you to believe. It also comes at great timing, just two months before we are due!
I should mention that one fabulous thing I noticed was that vendors were not snooty if you decided not to buy something right then and there. This is an issue we both have with in-person shopping here because people will seriously make you feel guilty for not buying something from them quite often. We may have been blessed simply by the fact that I am not quite so far along yet to really necessitate purchasing a lot of what was being offered, but either way, it was really nice to walk away with the vendor smiling. I truly appreciated it.
We did put down a refundable 50,000won deposit (simply, $50) on a photography package that includes a maternity portrait session. When I saw their setup, I knew right away that I wanted to go to this place. Other places I have walked by on a daily basis have some pretty boring maternity photos, though absolutely gorgeous baby photos, and this was the first (and only, as it turned out) that had some fantastic pregnancy portraits to show off.
Also, I cannot BELIEVE how inexpensive photography is here. I feel like we are stealing from them. You can hardly find someone to design an album for you for the cost we are paying for a few different sessions, which include an album and a million other things (even ALL images on a CD!). They also have a number of studios to choose from, so I am just super excited.
For anyone interested, here is a link to their sample galleries: Apple Tree
Links on the left: 50 days, 100 days, 1st Birthday, Junior, Maternity, Family, Outdoors, Star Mania
Another great deal we scored was a pair of maternity khaki capris for 10,000won. That was a major score! They are super cute. I would totally be wearing them if it weren't for this cold rainy front that moved in today.
Unexpected
One thing I didn't expect either of us to become interested in was cloth diapering, which I know is quickly growing in popularity in the states. I couldn't understand how it was done at first, but after finally talking with a vendor there and looking up more information online, it's pretty simple! It obviously requires more laundry, but it is amazing how much money it can save you in the end, nevertheless how much better it is for baby. (I don't care what option others pursue--I am not trying to convert or condemn a single person here.)
When we walked into the fair, I couldn't get over how many cloth diapering stands there were because I just assumed most people here used disposables. It wasn't until the very end when the vendor we wound up speaking with held up a sign about some free giveaway at 4pm that we got in line, got our freebie, then decided to ask some serious questions. Hee Suk was even very emphatic about it after talking with the lady from one of the bigger companies there. I am super excited to be looking into this more.
For the Next Fair...
My short list:
-I hope they have some vendors to check out some carriers and slings. All they had were strollers and some carseats. I want to see some carriers and slings!
-Enter the maternity fashion contest! I would have done it this time, but I would have been too shy with such a comparably small belly.
-Look into pricing for necessities such as a tub online and in stores to see if they are offering a better deal there.
-Milk all of them for all the freebies they've got! (You'll get to see all of the great stuff we walked away with when I post pictures.)
-Make sure Hee Suk enters his name into all drawings because he wins EVERYTHING (he did win us something there!). I will enter mine in as well, of course, but I never win a thing.
-Make note of which vendors we definitely want to revisit.
Update on the Bra Crisis
It really was a crisis. I ended up nearly losing it trying to find what I wanted, so I just decided to pass up looking for something without an underwire that could work as a nursing bra and just find something. God seriously led me to this new friend of mine, C (who is also expecting and married to a Korean!), because it turns out that while we were walking around, one underwear shop had some great bras on clearance for 5,800won--super cheap! I wound up buying two for now, and they are just heavenly. I pray I don't go through much more growth during pregnancy, though, because B is considered big here!
Oh, and Korean sizing wasn't so bad to figure out. On our way home on Saturday, I did stop by one vendor in the subway station to get sized (little did Hee Suk know that that was all I was hoping to get out of the visit, heheheh). That led to more stress because what I at least heard wound up not making much sense, and I was not able to find what I thought I needed online. I figured it out, though, and all is well.
Anyway, I have spent way too much time here and must be off! Pictures will come soon.
Thank You, my Lord, for blessing us so greatly each and every day and for the particularly special ways in which you blessed us this weekend. Though we sometime stray, You never stop leading us in Your ways. Thank You, my King!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Was it the hormones?
Or am I just really fed up with certain things?
Korea has a huge cash culture. This is no surprise and no secret. Sellers like to not pay any credit/check card machine fees and often like to get away with under or simply not reporting all of their sales. You can often haggle for lower prices if you pay by cash as well.
When I walk into an established shop that is quite sizeable (not huge, but sizeable), I expect them to be able to accept a card of sorts. Especially if it is a nicer looking shop.
OK, so onto the story:
I had to go to the dentist today because the wires on the very last teeth on the bottom of my mouth popped out. Nothing major, but I wanted to get them fixed up. I was really disappointed about spending my afternoon break there until I realized that going to the dentist equals going to Subway and getting my footlong Honeyoat Turkey and ordering their extra soft chocolate chip cookies! Yum.
Food aside, in the subway stations here, there are many spots to shop. The one by our place has no subway shopping, but my dentist is located in a pretty popular area for people to hang out. Thus, plenty of shopping. I stopped by my favorite place to get shirts because they are incredibly cheap and started a small pile of things I wanted. It suddenly dawned on me to ask if they take cards because we did not have enough cash on us. Here's the policy as the shop lady explained it:
They accept cards for a minimum of $10 (10,000won), but that's per item. They can't ring an entire sale on the card. So if I bought three shirts for $10 a piece, I could basically charge each one one-by-one on my card. Buying two shirts for $10 is not okay for putting it on the card. Spending $100 total is not okay to charge. I don't recall if they allow charges for things over $10. I think they do, but again, it's all per item.
I got upset. I got more upset than I think I should have. The problem was that I was finding incredible deals on tops I loved and that I wasn't able to do anything about it because they have a really weird card policy. The last time I tried to buy something that could grow with me, the shop I was at was going to discount it to $40. Finding cute things that breathe in the summer is a must. I hardly have a thing to wear for the warmer weather, so it's been important to me to pick a few things up.
I said to Hee Suk, "Well fine, then they are going to lose a lot of money because of their crazy policy. I can't buy these things! I was planning on spending quite a bit, and they just lost their sale!" I went to hang everything back up, and the clerk told me to hand her the items as I was in the middle of hanging one. I did so without saying thank you and just left.
I felt really ashamed. That's just not like me to leave with an ugly face like that. Hee Suk wound up finding money he had for another purpose (it was for something with his group and wasn't really our money), so we did go back so I could pick out a few things since I did have cash at home. I wanted him to tell the lady I was sorry, that I just felt frustrated with how things go here sometimes, but he said, "It's okay, they'll be happy we're giving them money." In reality, he didn't want to do it because he would be too embarrassed, I am sure. I know how to say I am sorry, but I couldn't think of how to say, "I'm sorry for getting upset earlier," and so on at the time.
The worst part is, they recognized me from shopping there before. I thought they were different people, but after we had initially gone away, Hee Suk mentioned that they had mentioned remembering me from before. I was pretty mortified after that. I don't want people to think bad things of me. When we went back, I tried really hard to be nice and smiley, but I don't know if it really cut it. I wasn't that bad to them. I am sure their native customers have been a million times worse before. I still feel bad about being all huffy, though.
At any rate, I walked away with for tops for right around $33. Two are more t-shirt style and are just really cute. Big t-shirts that kind of flare at the bottom are really popular here, so it's actually better to shop for maternity tops at just regular shops because you'll get far better deals (and far better styles!). One has a bunch of typing mistakes in English, but it's nothing you can notice without paying close attention, so I didn't give too much of a hoot.
Another top was a set with a short-sleeved white tee and a sort of pink jumper to go over it. We both thought it was really cute. The last item I picked up was a nice white shirt. I've wanted a cute one for the summer because they are so versatile, and it was an incredible deal.
I will take a picture of them as soon as they are done drying. ^^;;
In other news, the next time I ring my bell on my bike several times well in advance to oncoming pedestrians who decide walking or stopping in my path is the appropriate response, I might bowl them over. My Korean is excellent in such instances, and no, I never say bad things. And no, I don't always say something. To the guy who wanted to force me into a wall, I sure did. "This way is to too difficult!" I just shake my head most of the time.
I guess my goal while I am here is to help the population learn to have a little more public common sense/awareness, but doing it ajumma by ajumma or ajeossi by ajeossi is just not efficient enough.
(Ajumma and ajeossi basically mean middle-aged woman and man, respectively. In Korea, they joke that there are three genders: male, female and ajumma. I swear Korean ajumma could play American football. They are deadly.)
To Our Precious Child:
I am sorry that I am such a bitter crankypants sometimes. I am really doing what I can to work hard on that. Being frustrated by what seems like backwards customs at times really is no excuse. I hope that as you grow older, you will see that the person I was in these situations really is not the person I normally am. By the time your old enough to read and understand this, I pray that I am a far better person than I am now! I will absolutely work harder to be more patient and understanding. I am sorry if my bad negavibes ever get you down.
Love,
Your Silly Mommy
Just so you know that I am not some insane pregnant woman, I have started some really good habits. One important thing I have heard is how great it is to read to your child while he/she is in the womb. I have no children's books yet (which I hope to have tons of someday!), so I've decided that with my daily Bible readings, I will read both the day's selections for Psalms and Proverbs in both English and Korean outloud. I started last night and so look forward to continuing it throughout the pregnancy. Before we conceived, I found some wonderful children's Christian books written in both English and Korean, so I plan to search for those sometime soon and try to pick them up.
I almost forgot! Tomorrow is Parents' Day here in Korea (they don't do separate Mother's and Father's Days), so I am going to make something for Hee Suk. I am sure he won't do anything for me, but we'll see. I'll drop a million hints that Sunday is Mother's Day, though (which I have only just realized).
That's all I have the energy for right now, though. I am trying very hard to not eat another Subway cookie. I've already had two. I ordered one with my meal and decided I should order three more to take home. There are now only two remaining. Yum is all I have to say to that.
My Lord, please forgive me for acting in a far less than Christ-like manner today. I pray that even if it is the hormones, that You would move inside of me in such situations to help exude Your light. Please forgive me and bless the woman who I showed my frustration to today. Please also help me to not teach such things to our little one! Thank You, my King.
Korea has a huge cash culture. This is no surprise and no secret. Sellers like to not pay any credit/check card machine fees and often like to get away with under or simply not reporting all of their sales. You can often haggle for lower prices if you pay by cash as well.
When I walk into an established shop that is quite sizeable (not huge, but sizeable), I expect them to be able to accept a card of sorts. Especially if it is a nicer looking shop.
OK, so onto the story:
I had to go to the dentist today because the wires on the very last teeth on the bottom of my mouth popped out. Nothing major, but I wanted to get them fixed up. I was really disappointed about spending my afternoon break there until I realized that going to the dentist equals going to Subway and getting my footlong Honeyoat Turkey and ordering their extra soft chocolate chip cookies! Yum.
Food aside, in the subway stations here, there are many spots to shop. The one by our place has no subway shopping, but my dentist is located in a pretty popular area for people to hang out. Thus, plenty of shopping. I stopped by my favorite place to get shirts because they are incredibly cheap and started a small pile of things I wanted. It suddenly dawned on me to ask if they take cards because we did not have enough cash on us. Here's the policy as the shop lady explained it:
They accept cards for a minimum of $10 (10,000won), but that's per item. They can't ring an entire sale on the card. So if I bought three shirts for $10 a piece, I could basically charge each one one-by-one on my card. Buying two shirts for $10 is not okay for putting it on the card. Spending $100 total is not okay to charge. I don't recall if they allow charges for things over $10. I think they do, but again, it's all per item.
I got upset. I got more upset than I think I should have. The problem was that I was finding incredible deals on tops I loved and that I wasn't able to do anything about it because they have a really weird card policy. The last time I tried to buy something that could grow with me, the shop I was at was going to discount it to $40. Finding cute things that breathe in the summer is a must. I hardly have a thing to wear for the warmer weather, so it's been important to me to pick a few things up.
I said to Hee Suk, "Well fine, then they are going to lose a lot of money because of their crazy policy. I can't buy these things! I was planning on spending quite a bit, and they just lost their sale!" I went to hang everything back up, and the clerk told me to hand her the items as I was in the middle of hanging one. I did so without saying thank you and just left.
I felt really ashamed. That's just not like me to leave with an ugly face like that. Hee Suk wound up finding money he had for another purpose (it was for something with his group and wasn't really our money), so we did go back so I could pick out a few things since I did have cash at home. I wanted him to tell the lady I was sorry, that I just felt frustrated with how things go here sometimes, but he said, "It's okay, they'll be happy we're giving them money." In reality, he didn't want to do it because he would be too embarrassed, I am sure. I know how to say I am sorry, but I couldn't think of how to say, "I'm sorry for getting upset earlier," and so on at the time.
The worst part is, they recognized me from shopping there before. I thought they were different people, but after we had initially gone away, Hee Suk mentioned that they had mentioned remembering me from before. I was pretty mortified after that. I don't want people to think bad things of me. When we went back, I tried really hard to be nice and smiley, but I don't know if it really cut it. I wasn't that bad to them. I am sure their native customers have been a million times worse before. I still feel bad about being all huffy, though.
At any rate, I walked away with for tops for right around $33. Two are more t-shirt style and are just really cute. Big t-shirts that kind of flare at the bottom are really popular here, so it's actually better to shop for maternity tops at just regular shops because you'll get far better deals (and far better styles!). One has a bunch of typing mistakes in English, but it's nothing you can notice without paying close attention, so I didn't give too much of a hoot.
Another top was a set with a short-sleeved white tee and a sort of pink jumper to go over it. We both thought it was really cute. The last item I picked up was a nice white shirt. I've wanted a cute one for the summer because they are so versatile, and it was an incredible deal.
I will take a picture of them as soon as they are done drying. ^^;;
In other news, the next time I ring my bell on my bike several times well in advance to oncoming pedestrians who decide walking or stopping in my path is the appropriate response, I might bowl them over. My Korean is excellent in such instances, and no, I never say bad things. And no, I don't always say something. To the guy who wanted to force me into a wall, I sure did. "This way is to too difficult!" I just shake my head most of the time.
I guess my goal while I am here is to help the population learn to have a little more public common sense/awareness, but doing it ajumma by ajumma or ajeossi by ajeossi is just not efficient enough.
(Ajumma and ajeossi basically mean middle-aged woman and man, respectively. In Korea, they joke that there are three genders: male, female and ajumma. I swear Korean ajumma could play American football. They are deadly.)
To Our Precious Child:
I am sorry that I am such a bitter crankypants sometimes. I am really doing what I can to work hard on that. Being frustrated by what seems like backwards customs at times really is no excuse. I hope that as you grow older, you will see that the person I was in these situations really is not the person I normally am. By the time your old enough to read and understand this, I pray that I am a far better person than I am now! I will absolutely work harder to be more patient and understanding. I am sorry if my bad negavibes ever get you down.
Love,
Your Silly Mommy
Just so you know that I am not some insane pregnant woman, I have started some really good habits. One important thing I have heard is how great it is to read to your child while he/she is in the womb. I have no children's books yet (which I hope to have tons of someday!), so I've decided that with my daily Bible readings, I will read both the day's selections for Psalms and Proverbs in both English and Korean outloud. I started last night and so look forward to continuing it throughout the pregnancy. Before we conceived, I found some wonderful children's Christian books written in both English and Korean, so I plan to search for those sometime soon and try to pick them up.
I almost forgot! Tomorrow is Parents' Day here in Korea (they don't do separate Mother's and Father's Days), so I am going to make something for Hee Suk. I am sure he won't do anything for me, but we'll see. I'll drop a million hints that Sunday is Mother's Day, though (which I have only just realized).
That's all I have the energy for right now, though. I am trying very hard to not eat another Subway cookie. I've already had two. I ordered one with my meal and decided I should order three more to take home. There are now only two remaining. Yum is all I have to say to that.
My Lord, please forgive me for acting in a far less than Christ-like manner today. I pray that even if it is the hormones, that You would move inside of me in such situations to help exude Your light. Please forgive me and bless the woman who I showed my frustration to today. Please also help me to not teach such things to our little one! Thank You, my King.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Almost there!
To the second trimester, that is! I am so excited by this. The time is really just whizzing on by, though you do have to take into account that the first month of pregnancy really is spent mostly not pregnant. Either way, yay for the second trimester just a few days away! I am anxiously awaiting this mythical energy boost that is supposed to happen.
This child loves cold pizza. We try to keep our refrigerator stocked with some for me for my snacks. Yes, snacks. Cheese has calcium and protein, so take that. When I start actually gaining some weight and at an alarming rate, I will maybe cut back. One slice a day isn't going to do anything but keep me mentally sane, the way I see it. Mental sanity has great physical benefits as well.
And for the record, I was never huge on cold pizza before. I usually heated it up. Now, I find myself wanting to order pizza just to put it in the fridge. It hasn't come to that yet, but we shall see...
On a different note, one student semi broke my heart today. The same student who said, "Wow, belly!" last week said to me today, "Where's your belly?" indicating that she thinks I am not showing at all. Granted, I think that when I where my non-maternity pants, I show less because of the different fit. Still! I am showing! I know my body! She wasn't having it, though. ;~;
GIRLS ONLY
In other news, something I never thought possible, even with pregnancy, is now happening. I need to go get some bigger brassieres. So far, I've only grown enough to actually truly fit my 32As. This was pretty darn exciting for me, let me tell you. I think I am actually going to grow out of them, though. I don't know how to measure bra size here, so that is going to be an adventure. Hee Suk's response will be, "Order it online! They have sizing!" That's just not going to work. I am willing to put money down on him saying that when I mention it to him.
I had more I wanted to type, but my brain has melted for the evening. That leaves us with picture time!
12w4d
This was my mental breakdown day. Feeling a little uninspired at the end of the day, I took a picture of the meal we had at HomePlus. I still can't get over how cheap it is to eat out here.
♥
12w5d
I've had these for awhile, but I tucked them so far away in a storage bin that I sort of forgot! When I bought my maternity pants, the seller included these in there for free after trying to sell them to us. While she was in selling mode, I very clearly refused, but she decided it would be awesome of her to throw them in there. It was indeed very kind of her, no doubt. I can't do anything but laugh, though! Most women I know just say buy the next size up--you don't need it to cover your belly. I'm not knocking on women who wear these, not at all. I think the most hilarious thing to me is that the panty liner spot is very literally a towel.
I'm sure I'll be eating these words later. ^.~
♥
12w6d
This is my tazer. I decided to take a picture of it because I wound up having a nightmare that featured it. It was of the bad kind, so I will not recount it. I will recount, though, that I tried to stun someone with it, but it just wasn't fazing him. I tried swinging it over my head lasso style to knock others in the head, but it all proved pretty futile in the end. This nightmare was no doubt sparked by simply talking about my tazer in my last post.
♥
13w!!
This one is dedicate to Tony Nagano. I DO have a belly button, and here is my proof. Yes, it is slanted. And yes, I get grossed out by my own belly button. I at least have one dear friend who can empathize. Anyway, this is approximately how big baby is now. I love whipping out our tape measure to keep track of how big he/she is. ♥
That's all for now! Time to eat a little more and then head off to bed.
My Heavenly Father, thank You for delivering us safely into the 13th week, a huge milestone for most in pregnancy. There is no doubt You have been with us this entire time, and there are no words that could ever be enough for us to offer our thanks to You. Thank You, my Lord. Thank You.
This child loves cold pizza. We try to keep our refrigerator stocked with some for me for my snacks. Yes, snacks. Cheese has calcium and protein, so take that. When I start actually gaining some weight and at an alarming rate, I will maybe cut back. One slice a day isn't going to do anything but keep me mentally sane, the way I see it. Mental sanity has great physical benefits as well.
And for the record, I was never huge on cold pizza before. I usually heated it up. Now, I find myself wanting to order pizza just to put it in the fridge. It hasn't come to that yet, but we shall see...
On a different note, one student semi broke my heart today. The same student who said, "Wow, belly!" last week said to me today, "Where's your belly?" indicating that she thinks I am not showing at all. Granted, I think that when I where my non-maternity pants, I show less because of the different fit. Still! I am showing! I know my body! She wasn't having it, though. ;~;
GIRLS ONLY
In other news, something I never thought possible, even with pregnancy, is now happening. I need to go get some bigger brassieres. So far, I've only grown enough to actually truly fit my 32As. This was pretty darn exciting for me, let me tell you. I think I am actually going to grow out of them, though. I don't know how to measure bra size here, so that is going to be an adventure. Hee Suk's response will be, "Order it online! They have sizing!" That's just not going to work. I am willing to put money down on him saying that when I mention it to him.
I had more I wanted to type, but my brain has melted for the evening. That leaves us with picture time!
This was my mental breakdown day. Feeling a little uninspired at the end of the day, I took a picture of the meal we had at HomePlus. I still can't get over how cheap it is to eat out here.
♥
12w5d
I've had these for awhile, but I tucked them so far away in a storage bin that I sort of forgot! When I bought my maternity pants, the seller included these in there for free after trying to sell them to us. While she was in selling mode, I very clearly refused, but she decided it would be awesome of her to throw them in there. It was indeed very kind of her, no doubt. I can't do anything but laugh, though! Most women I know just say buy the next size up--you don't need it to cover your belly. I'm not knocking on women who wear these, not at all. I think the most hilarious thing to me is that the panty liner spot is very literally a towel.
I'm sure I'll be eating these words later. ^.~
♥
12w6d
This is my tazer. I decided to take a picture of it because I wound up having a nightmare that featured it. It was of the bad kind, so I will not recount it. I will recount, though, that I tried to stun someone with it, but it just wasn't fazing him. I tried swinging it over my head lasso style to knock others in the head, but it all proved pretty futile in the end. This nightmare was no doubt sparked by simply talking about my tazer in my last post.
♥
13w!!
This one is dedicate to Tony Nagano. I DO have a belly button, and here is my proof. Yes, it is slanted. And yes, I get grossed out by my own belly button. I at least have one dear friend who can empathize. Anyway, this is approximately how big baby is now. I love whipping out our tape measure to keep track of how big he/she is. ♥
That's all for now! Time to eat a little more and then head off to bed.
My Heavenly Father, thank You for delivering us safely into the 13th week, a huge milestone for most in pregnancy. There is no doubt You have been with us this entire time, and there are no words that could ever be enough for us to offer our thanks to You. Thank You, my Lord. Thank You.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Oh, boy.
I am starting to wonder if sleep is really worth it. Don't get me wrong--I am a completely rational person who realizes how incredibly important it is to us being able to function properly and all that good jazz. The thought of going to sleep is starting to cause me some anxiety, though. I keep having terrible nightmares about things I am not ordinarily anxious about. Pre-pregnancy, I already had issues with always remembering dreams and nightmares. To use a word my father loves, pregnancy has served to simply exacerbate that.
While my nightmare last night wasn't of the worst kind, when I woke up, I had some terrible pain in my chest. It truly felt like someone was twisting a knife in me. Some positions were okay, but if I inhaled just a little too much, it caused me pain. Waking up from a nightmare in pain and needing to go to the bathroom is just not fun. I very slowly made my way out of bed, and when I climbed back in, I got on all fours to do a little yoga to try to get the pain to go away. It was the weirdest thing. It felt like a ball in my chest just kind of up and left. I felt nothing with my hands when trying to figure the source of the pain out, but it felt like there was something there at that last moment. It was completely gone after that. Kooky.
Sunday during the day was interesting as well. We went out to see X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and since we weren't too hungry right after, we decided to walk around a bit to build up our appetites. It's an incredibly busy area with thousands of people all around. It's very loud with the huge stores blasting their music to attract crowds since the competition is huge there.
This is not new to me. I love going to this area every once-in-a-while to find some good deals. It's where I got my two pairs of maternity pants. (For those who live here, I'm sure you've already guessed we were at Dongdaemun.)
I wound up having a mini panic attack as we were starting to head back to the bus stop. I just started sobbing and shaking a little and feeling like I couldn't breathe. It freaked Hee Suk out because he had no idea why this was suddenly happening to me. I can't really say I have the greatest idea either. Here's my hypothesis, though:
I am agoraphobic--fear of wide open spaces and large crowds. I've been okay with the crowds here in Korea, but it does get to me a little at times. Grocery store trips are sometimes cut a little bit short because I just want to get out of there with all of the people bumping and pushing you around and with how loud it is.
So obviously, with this trip out, there were large crowds. I've always been okay, though, right?
I think the cherry on top was how it felt when we stopped into a couple of the huge stores. The movie theater we went to was on the 9th floor of a huge new building. (It was so warm when we got in there, too. I have never, ever walked into a warm theater.) I wanted to check out the maternity wear since we were there, so we went on to the 4th floor. It's still very empty there since it is new, and they had no air moving through it whatsoever. It was also so hot to me with whatever sort of lights they had chosen to use. The overpriced items plus all of that had me wanting to get out of there quickly.
We stopped in on the first floor of another shopping complex that's almost exactly the same. First floor, doors are wide open, the seller I wanted to check out was right next to the entrance. Still no air moving through there. I flipped through the rack a little and decided it just wasn't a shopping day for me. Shortly after leaving that building is when I broke down.
My theory is the crowds plus the noise plus that feeling of not being able to really breathe in those shops had me just mentally losing it. Makes sense to me. We had to go grocery shopping that night, too, and Hee Suk said, "I don't think you can go--we'll go another time." I knew I would be okay there, though. Turns out I did end up just fine.
So for something a little funny to break up the seriousness, the guy I sat next to at the movie (no, not my husband--the other guy) was the biggest baby I have ever seen! Hee Suk swears it must have been his first time at a movie theater.
First of all, I wanted to punch him for continually checking his cell phone. I almost did.
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry because of this guy, though. He jumped and verbalized something at every sort of surprising moment. If you've seen the movie, you'll probably recall the first gunshot in the movie, which was very sudden. Scared the poop out of him. He seriously jumped out of his chair each time something like that happened and would say something like, "Oh my gosh! Suddenly!" He also kept talking to the chick he was with. Thank goodness he wasn't holding popcorn or anything.
Our baby and my youngest brother completely own this guy! Baby either a) loved it, or b) slept through it. Our baby is hardcore like that. How do I know? I just do. And Mr. Tony J. saw the midnight premiere. He's super hardcore.
Other than that, I've had a number of crazy experiences the past few days with people who think that foreigners are apparently just not people, including other foreigners! When we were at COEX on Saturday, some Indian guy wanted to take a picture with me. Why? I have no idea. It's not the first time an Indian man has approached me for a picture. The difference this time, though, was that I was NOT dressed in a hanbok, a Korean traditional dress like I was the last time someone wanted a picture with me. I just said, "Um, I don't think my husband would really like that..." and he dashed away. I'm pretty sure this man was not a fan of any of the dramas I have been in...
Today, as I was riding my bike to class, some strange man suddenly started clapping and saying, "That's good! That's good!" over and over. I sensed a tone of mockery, but I could be wrong. I swear to you he went on about Jesus or something after that. I usually get some random high schoolers thinking it's cool/funny to say hello as I am riding by, but this guy was something new. I never looked at him, though, and just kept riding along.
And just so you all know, I do have my own tazer. Have not had to use it. For as weird as some people are with foreigners, they also won't come at them with a ten-foot pole. I mean, a 305cm pole.
I am convinced Koreans are going to cause me to end up with mild preeclampsia, just so you know.
On a completely different note, I updated my facebook status to say that if I didn't know any better with the proof of an ultrasound, I would swear we are having a mouse because Sesame is loving cheese. Cold pizza is pretty heavenly, let me tell you. I just finished the last piece today and feel sort of at a loss for what to do with myself. I also want to eat fish. Yum.
Anyway, I will get to posting more pictures another time. Those are just some of the adventures Sesame and I had this past weekend. He/She is really a fighter. I think when our baby reads this someday, he/she will just be so amazed at all that really goes on in order to bring a little one into this world and will hopefully crack up hysterically at some off our misadventures.
Dear Lord, thank You for protecting us and always holding us in Your warm embrace. I pray that these nightmares might subside, but if they do not, I pray that when I wake up, I am able to quickly call on Your name for comfort and peace. I also pray Hee Suk gets home quickly because I am really hungry. ^^ Thank You, my Wondrous Savior!
While my nightmare last night wasn't of the worst kind, when I woke up, I had some terrible pain in my chest. It truly felt like someone was twisting a knife in me. Some positions were okay, but if I inhaled just a little too much, it caused me pain. Waking up from a nightmare in pain and needing to go to the bathroom is just not fun. I very slowly made my way out of bed, and when I climbed back in, I got on all fours to do a little yoga to try to get the pain to go away. It was the weirdest thing. It felt like a ball in my chest just kind of up and left. I felt nothing with my hands when trying to figure the source of the pain out, but it felt like there was something there at that last moment. It was completely gone after that. Kooky.
Sunday during the day was interesting as well. We went out to see X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and since we weren't too hungry right after, we decided to walk around a bit to build up our appetites. It's an incredibly busy area with thousands of people all around. It's very loud with the huge stores blasting their music to attract crowds since the competition is huge there.
This is not new to me. I love going to this area every once-in-a-while to find some good deals. It's where I got my two pairs of maternity pants. (For those who live here, I'm sure you've already guessed we were at Dongdaemun.)
I wound up having a mini panic attack as we were starting to head back to the bus stop. I just started sobbing and shaking a little and feeling like I couldn't breathe. It freaked Hee Suk out because he had no idea why this was suddenly happening to me. I can't really say I have the greatest idea either. Here's my hypothesis, though:
I am agoraphobic--fear of wide open spaces and large crowds. I've been okay with the crowds here in Korea, but it does get to me a little at times. Grocery store trips are sometimes cut a little bit short because I just want to get out of there with all of the people bumping and pushing you around and with how loud it is.
So obviously, with this trip out, there were large crowds. I've always been okay, though, right?
I think the cherry on top was how it felt when we stopped into a couple of the huge stores. The movie theater we went to was on the 9th floor of a huge new building. (It was so warm when we got in there, too. I have never, ever walked into a warm theater.) I wanted to check out the maternity wear since we were there, so we went on to the 4th floor. It's still very empty there since it is new, and they had no air moving through it whatsoever. It was also so hot to me with whatever sort of lights they had chosen to use. The overpriced items plus all of that had me wanting to get out of there quickly.
We stopped in on the first floor of another shopping complex that's almost exactly the same. First floor, doors are wide open, the seller I wanted to check out was right next to the entrance. Still no air moving through there. I flipped through the rack a little and decided it just wasn't a shopping day for me. Shortly after leaving that building is when I broke down.
My theory is the crowds plus the noise plus that feeling of not being able to really breathe in those shops had me just mentally losing it. Makes sense to me. We had to go grocery shopping that night, too, and Hee Suk said, "I don't think you can go--we'll go another time." I knew I would be okay there, though. Turns out I did end up just fine.
So for something a little funny to break up the seriousness, the guy I sat next to at the movie (no, not my husband--the other guy) was the biggest baby I have ever seen! Hee Suk swears it must have been his first time at a movie theater.
First of all, I wanted to punch him for continually checking his cell phone. I almost did.
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry because of this guy, though. He jumped and verbalized something at every sort of surprising moment. If you've seen the movie, you'll probably recall the first gunshot in the movie, which was very sudden. Scared the poop out of him. He seriously jumped out of his chair each time something like that happened and would say something like, "Oh my gosh! Suddenly!" He also kept talking to the chick he was with. Thank goodness he wasn't holding popcorn or anything.
Our baby and my youngest brother completely own this guy! Baby either a) loved it, or b) slept through it. Our baby is hardcore like that. How do I know? I just do. And Mr. Tony J. saw the midnight premiere. He's super hardcore.
Other than that, I've had a number of crazy experiences the past few days with people who think that foreigners are apparently just not people, including other foreigners! When we were at COEX on Saturday, some Indian guy wanted to take a picture with me. Why? I have no idea. It's not the first time an Indian man has approached me for a picture. The difference this time, though, was that I was NOT dressed in a hanbok, a Korean traditional dress like I was the last time someone wanted a picture with me. I just said, "Um, I don't think my husband would really like that..." and he dashed away. I'm pretty sure this man was not a fan of any of the dramas I have been in...
Today, as I was riding my bike to class, some strange man suddenly started clapping and saying, "That's good! That's good!" over and over. I sensed a tone of mockery, but I could be wrong. I swear to you he went on about Jesus or something after that. I usually get some random high schoolers thinking it's cool/funny to say hello as I am riding by, but this guy was something new. I never looked at him, though, and just kept riding along.
And just so you all know, I do have my own tazer. Have not had to use it. For as weird as some people are with foreigners, they also won't come at them with a ten-foot pole. I mean, a 305cm pole.
I am convinced Koreans are going to cause me to end up with mild preeclampsia, just so you know.
On a completely different note, I updated my facebook status to say that if I didn't know any better with the proof of an ultrasound, I would swear we are having a mouse because Sesame is loving cheese. Cold pizza is pretty heavenly, let me tell you. I just finished the last piece today and feel sort of at a loss for what to do with myself. I also want to eat fish. Yum.
Anyway, I will get to posting more pictures another time. Those are just some of the adventures Sesame and I had this past weekend. He/She is really a fighter. I think when our baby reads this someday, he/she will just be so amazed at all that really goes on in order to bring a little one into this world and will hopefully crack up hysterically at some off our misadventures.
Dear Lord, thank You for protecting us and always holding us in Your warm embrace. I pray that these nightmares might subside, but if they do not, I pray that when I wake up, I am able to quickly call on Your name for comfort and peace. I also pray Hee Suk gets home quickly because I am really hungry. ^^ Thank You, my Wondrous Savior!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Not too much to report
Not too much has happened since our doctor's appointment on Wednesday, other than becoming seemingly visibly bigger since Friday. I love putting my hand on my belly. It's just the greatest thing. I'm a little self-conscious of it in this country since I've already had so many people assume I am Russian, and I don't want people to think I am some Russian hooker pregnant by accident. I don't dress like one, but people just don't put two-and-two together sometimes, though. If they aren't blinded by my bling of a wedding ring, though, they are really oblivious. If you'd like to hear me rant more on that, press 1 now.
Friday night, I suddenly developed a really bad headache, undoubtedly from the front moving in that was bringing the rain with it. It was one of those delightful sinus headaches, which feels like a clamp is pushing your whole head in, including eyes and ears. I was spared the teeth pain this time, though. Maybe my braces are good for something other than saving some of my meal for later by getting it all stuck. Not fun. I started feeling a little sick later on as well, so I ate a bowl of cereal. That helped. When Hee Suk came home, we ordered chicken and pizza. Much to my surprise, I ate three pieces of pizza. What can I say? Mom and baby like food. Yum.
Hee Suk had his own agenda for Saturday, so I went out all over Seoul. I first went out to Mokdong to meet with Pastor Foley from the states. He and his wife run a program called Seoul-USA, and they help some refugees from North Korea. I volunteer every now and again for their special English programs and have been in touch with Pastor Foley on how to get more involved, so this was our first time meeting. It was great to finally meet with him and chat, though I realized that anything outside of normal daily conversation shows a marked decrease in my English abilities. -.-;
Then, I went out to COEX, a big shopping center. I was planning on going alone, but my friend's plans were canceled, so she made the trek all the way out this way to go shopping with me. We wound up going to the aquarium there as well (and eating Auntie Anne's pretzels!!), and that was really great. I was so wiped by the end of it all, though!
Here's a visual of my journey (click to enlarge):
It was quickly done in paint. I don't have photoshop installed on Hee Suk's laptop. ;~;
I actually wanted to go to COEX to look for something for my sister at the Sanrio store since there is a huge one there, but I left disappointed. They mostly had the cutesy, fluffy stuff, which wasn't exactly what I was looking for. I wanted some of the more "fun" stuff, you know? You'll see below that I did walk away with something for myself, though. :3
Anyway, today we will head over to the movie theater to see the Wolverine movie~! I am so excited. We are seeing this over going to see the movie that we were both in, Insadong Scandal. Hugh Jackman, yay! Kim Raewon (the star of Insadong Scandal), boo. What a JERK. Yuck.
So I will leave you with pictures for now, then!
12w1d
So this was actually something from Wednesday night, but it's the 12w1d picture, anyway. For those who have seen our ultrasound video (our family members), at about 10 seconds in, Sesame looks right into the camera. I love this part. I think it's hilarious. Everytime I watch it, I laugh and say, "Hi, Mom!" Hee Suk now thinks it's hilarious, too.
So he left me a note to find when I came home, and this was it. Baby's first portrait is his rendition of that scene at 10 seconds in. It's hilarious. I love it.
♥
12w2d
Belly pic time! I've been staying about this big consistently since Friday, so even if it's just permanent bloat, I don't care. I love my belly. Even though it's early on, I have a feeling I will carry low. During the ultrasound, Sesame was really comfy in the left lower side of my pelvis. Even one of my students that day said, "Wow, belly!" It's a great feeling.
♥
12w3d
I could NOT pass up this stationery set, even at the thought of having a boy. It was just too cute. You'll probably all be getting letters from me soon just because I love this paper so much. Or not because I am lazy, but still. I at least thought about it.
And that's all I have for now! It's still too early for me to have today's picture ready. Maybe I will just edit this post later to add it. It'll get here somehow.
You have blessed us with yet another beautiful day, O Lord, a day that is certainly filled with Your hope and promise. Thank You for holding onto us so tightly and for continually blessing us, even though we are so unworthy. You are incredible, my King.
Friday night, I suddenly developed a really bad headache, undoubtedly from the front moving in that was bringing the rain with it. It was one of those delightful sinus headaches, which feels like a clamp is pushing your whole head in, including eyes and ears. I was spared the teeth pain this time, though. Maybe my braces are good for something other than saving some of my meal for later by getting it all stuck. Not fun. I started feeling a little sick later on as well, so I ate a bowl of cereal. That helped. When Hee Suk came home, we ordered chicken and pizza. Much to my surprise, I ate three pieces of pizza. What can I say? Mom and baby like food. Yum.
Hee Suk had his own agenda for Saturday, so I went out all over Seoul. I first went out to Mokdong to meet with Pastor Foley from the states. He and his wife run a program called Seoul-USA, and they help some refugees from North Korea. I volunteer every now and again for their special English programs and have been in touch with Pastor Foley on how to get more involved, so this was our first time meeting. It was great to finally meet with him and chat, though I realized that anything outside of normal daily conversation shows a marked decrease in my English abilities. -.-;
Then, I went out to COEX, a big shopping center. I was planning on going alone, but my friend's plans were canceled, so she made the trek all the way out this way to go shopping with me. We wound up going to the aquarium there as well (and eating Auntie Anne's pretzels!!), and that was really great. I was so wiped by the end of it all, though!
Here's a visual of my journey (click to enlarge):
It was quickly done in paint. I don't have photoshop installed on Hee Suk's laptop. ;~;
I actually wanted to go to COEX to look for something for my sister at the Sanrio store since there is a huge one there, but I left disappointed. They mostly had the cutesy, fluffy stuff, which wasn't exactly what I was looking for. I wanted some of the more "fun" stuff, you know? You'll see below that I did walk away with something for myself, though. :3
Anyway, today we will head over to the movie theater to see the Wolverine movie~! I am so excited. We are seeing this over going to see the movie that we were both in, Insadong Scandal. Hugh Jackman, yay! Kim Raewon (the star of Insadong Scandal), boo. What a JERK. Yuck.
So I will leave you with pictures for now, then!
So this was actually something from Wednesday night, but it's the 12w1d picture, anyway. For those who have seen our ultrasound video (our family members), at about 10 seconds in, Sesame looks right into the camera. I love this part. I think it's hilarious. Everytime I watch it, I laugh and say, "Hi, Mom!" Hee Suk now thinks it's hilarious, too.
So he left me a note to find when I came home, and this was it. Baby's first portrait is his rendition of that scene at 10 seconds in. It's hilarious. I love it.
♥
12w2d
Belly pic time! I've been staying about this big consistently since Friday, so even if it's just permanent bloat, I don't care. I love my belly. Even though it's early on, I have a feeling I will carry low. During the ultrasound, Sesame was really comfy in the left lower side of my pelvis. Even one of my students that day said, "Wow, belly!" It's a great feeling.
♥
12w3d
I could NOT pass up this stationery set, even at the thought of having a boy. It was just too cute. You'll probably all be getting letters from me soon just because I love this paper so much. Or not because I am lazy, but still. I at least thought about it.
And that's all I have for now! It's still too early for me to have today's picture ready. Maybe I will just edit this post later to add it. It'll get here somehow.
You have blessed us with yet another beautiful day, O Lord, a day that is certainly filled with Your hope and promise. Thank You for holding onto us so tightly and for continually blessing us, even though we are so unworthy. You are incredible, my King.
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